Killaloe trainer in the winner’s enclosure

Killaloe trainer Ronnie O’Leary visited the winner’s enclosure at Galway on Sunday where his One Fine Morning scored an impressive success in the opening Corrib Oil Sean Cleary Memorial Maiden Hurdle.
Having run an encouraging fourth in a similar event at Sligo last month, One Fine Morning went off at 4/1 in this 16-runner contest and was sent into the lead from the drop of the flag by jockey David Casey.
Heading towards the home turn, the son of Generous was still travelling well out in front and he dug deep on the uphill climb to the post to see off Enda Bolger’s Pocket Reader by a length-and-a-quarter.
Former jockey O’Leary, who trains the winner for leading owner JP McManus, was thrilled with his latest success.
“That was a very nice performance. He has come on a ton from his last run at Sligo and jumped great all the way today. David (Casey) liked him a lot and he’ll probably go for a little handicap somewhere next. He’ll jump a fence in time and is a nice horse to look forward to,” he said.
McManus enjoyed a great afternoon on Sunday as he went on to take two further races on the card.
Half an hour later, noted cross-country performer L’Ami (8/1) turned back the clock when making all the running to land the Diamond Vision Novice Hurdle at the ripe age of 11.
Tom Ryan made this two-and-a-half mile event a true test of stamina aboard L’Ami, who had been off the track since winning the La Touche at Punchestown last spring and the tactics worked a treat as the pair stayed on resolutely to beat runner-up Askanna by two-and-a-half-lengths.
Later in the afternoon, McManus’ Green and Orange colours were also carried to victory when 6/4 shot Head Of The Posse scored for trainer John Kiely in the featured Grade 3 Barna Waste Ballybrit Novice Chase.
David Casey, who was riding a 63/1 double, did the steering on board this Supreme Leader seven-year-old, who ran on well in the closing stages to beat Philip Fenton’s Son Of Oscar by a length and three-quarters. Favourite backers suffered a reversal here as Noel Meade’s 11/10 shot Realt Dubh fell four out when in the lead.
Tralee trainer Tom Cooper appears to have a very nice horse on his hands in The Shepherd King, who impressed when making a winning debut over hurdles in the two-mile CCTV Control Maiden Hurdle.
Well-backed when winning a bumper at the Listowel festival last month, The Shepherd King (11/4) travelled strongly throughout and quickened up nicely when asked by Bryan Cooper (son of trainer Tom) to beat Dessie Hughes’ Frisco Depot by a length.
The winner is a smart sort and Cooper has the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse next month mapped out for the six-year-old, who carries the colours of Mullingar farmer Noel Collins.
Noel Meade may have been out of luck with Realt Dubh in the feature race, but his Dylan Ross made no mistake in the concluding bumper. Fifth in the competitive Land Rover Bumper in the spring, Nina Carberry’s mount was always in command in this two-mile test, with the 4/5 favourite drawing right away in the closing stages for a comfortable five-and-a-half-length win over He’s Our Man.
Bank Holiday Monday attracted a fine crowd to the western venue and racegoers were treated to fine performance by Gordon Elliott’s Jessies Dream in the WB Gavin & Son EBF Beginners Chase. This was a cracking contest with some potential stars on view including Berties Dream, who gave Galway trainer Paul Gilligan his first Cheltenham Festival winner when claiming last season’s Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle.
Mouse Morris’ Venalmar went off 7/4 favourite in this two-and-three-quarter-mile contest, but, at the business end, it the Davy Condon-ridden Jessies Dream who came out on top when beating Corskeagh Royale by three lengths. The favourite filled third, with Berties Dream (Andrew Lynch) making a satisfactory start over fences in fourth.
Barry Geraghty gave Jessica Harrington’s Got Attitude a peach of a ride to land the featured €25,000 Castlegar Handicap Chase. Wise Old Owl looked all over a winner here as he cruised into the lead a furlong down, but Geraghty was in no mood to surrender and, getting really stuck into his mount, he forced the 7/1 shot up in the shadows of the post to beat the flattering Wise Old Owl by a neck.
Noel Meade, successful with Dylan Ross in Sunday’s bumper, brought his tally for the two-day meeting to three when saddling two winners. His first success of the afternoon came with the odds-on Prima Vista (1/2F) in the opening Corrib Food Products Maiden Hurdle. Paul Carberry’s mount pulled hard in the early stages of this contest, but he quickened nicely off the home turn to beat Rough Times by a length-and-a-half.
Brodies Dubrovnick, trained by Martin Brassil for The Banner Partnership that includes Clare senior hurling manager Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughin was third in this contest. Given that the five-year-old was returning from a four-and-a-half month break, this was an encouraging effort that augurs well for the future.
Meade was also on the mark in the www.swordsecurity.com flat race where his Donnas Palm ran out a good winner under Nina Carberry. Those that traded at 4/9 about this son of grey palm may have been slightly worried as Natural High kicked for home of the final bend but once Carberry shook up the favourite, he came alive up the final hill to beat that rival by three-and-a-half lengths.

O’Connor clan on song up north

The O’Connor clan from Tubber were very much to the fore at last Saturday’s point-to-point meeting at Loughbrickland, Down.
Champion jockey Derek was first into the winner’s enclosure when guiding hot-pot Top Twig (1/4F) to a facile victory in the open lightweight. Produced to challenge at the second last, Top Twig sealed the issue in a matter of strides when forging clear to beat Send For Paddy by an eased down 15 lengths.
The David Christie-trained winner, who runs in the silks of the Fermanagh-based Sporting Pointers Syndicate, was making it two wins from two starts this season with Saturday’s success and he’ll be very hard to beat wherever he turns up next.
The second leg of O’Connor’s double, which brings his winning total for the season so far to 11, was completed in the first division concluding older horses’ maiden where he teamed up with his brother Paurick to score with Megatron.
In front from an early stage, Megatron (1/1F) was strongly pressed when joined by the Jamie Codd-ridden Buoy George at the last of the 13 fences, but the champion jockey had kept a big in reserve as the pair ran on well to beat that rival by half a length.
Megatron’s success sees in-form Paurick O’Connor, who has an exciting stable of horses to go war with this season, move on to the four winner mark for the 2010/11 campaign, two behind last season’ s champion handler Colin Bowe at the head of the trainer’s championship.